‘Food consumes my life’

What is the meal you will always remember? Any of the Sunday roasts my grandmother used to make on her old Stanley stove. She put an insane amount of love into every meal.

What was your defining food experience? My first ever Michelin-star meal at L’Ecrivain. I loved it so much, I went and worked there for three years.

What is your hangover cure? Berocca and coffee.

What do you drink? Guinness; and Jameson.

What is the most appetising smell in the world? I love the smell of anything cooked over fire.

How important is food to you? Very important. It consumes my life.

You can go anywhere and have anything to eat with any one person. Where, what and who? I’d bring my mum somewhere fancy.

What’s your favourite restaurant in Ireland? Tough one. L’Ecrivain, Pichet, and Chapter One. It’s difficult to just pick one. And abroad? Noma.

What’s your sweet treat? I have a serious sweet tooth. I am always roaming around the pastry section.

What do you refuse to eat? Green peppers.

What is your guilty pleasure? Fried chicken.

Are you careful about what you eat? Yes. I try to eat as healthily as possible, so that when I go out to eat, I do not have to feel guilty.

Are there any foods you have had to cut out or cut down on that you miss? I try to eat as little dairy and gluten as I can, but I don’t deprive myself of anything.

If you decide to eat healthily what’s the regime? It mostly involves putting fruit and vegetables in a NutriBullet and going to the gym as much as possible.

What’s your perfect family meal? Anything that can be shared and starts a conversation.

Patrick Powell, head chef at London’s Chiltern Firehouse, recently manned the stove at Pichet in a cameo appearance as part of the restaurant’s new guest-chef series, ‘Friends of Pichet’. Pichet head chef Stephen Gibson invites incredible Irish chefs to return to Dublin for one day only at Pichet. See facebook.com/PichetDublin for details of upcoming guest chefs